(4d) Biomaterials and Nanostructures for Tissue Engineering

Interfaces in biological systems are highly dynamic regions that act as concentrators of function and information. Understanding how to manipulate the structure and behavior of the biotic-abiotic interface is key to developing innovative devices and materials with enhanced function. My Ph.D. research focused on developing tunable interfaces that allow the seamless integration of artificial materials into cell membranes. By recreating the hydrophobic banding of transmembrane proteins on inorganic structures, I produced biocompatible membrane-penetrating interfaces while also yielding novel insights into the interfacial phenomena that govern how proteins and lipid membranes interact. These insights have subsequently been used to enable stable, nondestructive intracellular electrical access. During my postdoctoral training, I have been working to develop methods for programming materials with dynamic biological function, essentially defining the temporal interfaces between biomaterials and tissues. These materials are being used to understand how coordinated cytokine therapies affect the healing of chronic wounds, along with more general questions regarding tissue regeneration. Using this background, I plan to develop new therapeutic devices and materials to observe and influence cell and tissue behavior.